Apprentices and Further Education: Young People
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage more young people into (a) further education and (b) apprenticeships.
Answered by Janet Daby
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills, to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth through our Industrial Strategy.
Young people are required to continue in education or training until they turn 18-years-old. We are preventing young people from losing touch with education or employment before the age of 18 through a guaranteed place in education and training for all 16 and 17-year-olds, expanded work experience and careers advice, action to tackle school attendance and improved access to mental health services for young people in England.
Over £7.5 billion 16 to 19 programme funding will be invested during the 2024/25 academic year, to pay for education for any 16, 17 or 18-year-olds in post-16 education.
£240 million has been announced to drive forward measures in the Get Britain Working White Paper. This includes a Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18 to 21-years-old in England to ensure they can access quality training, educational opportunities or help to find work. Working with Mayoral Authorities, and building on existing provision and entitlements, the department will test new ways of supporting young people into employment or training. To do this we will mobilise eight place-based Youth Guarantee trailblazers with £45 million of funding in 2025/26.
In addition, the department’s reformed growth and skills offer, which will have apprenticeships at its core, will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers, including through shorter duration apprenticeships in targeted sectors. This will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work, and fuel innovation in businesses across the UK. The department has also begun work to develop new foundation apprenticeships, a training offer that will give more young people a foot in the door and support clear pathways and progression in work-based training and employment.
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